Before award-winning wood floor pro Bobby Humphreys founded Big Guy, Littles World Sanctuary, he didn't anticipate he'd someday wake up covered in 40 adoring Chihuahuas. "I never thought twice about little ankle biters," he says. Now, he's on a mission to rescue as many Chihuahuas as he can with his pending nonprofit. It was fate that brought Humphreys and his little "fellow misfits" together. Humphreys, who owns Frederick, Md.-based Wood Floors by Majestic, hit a rough patch several years ago when his marriage ended. As he fell into a depression, a friend asked if he'd babysit her Chihuahua, Lady. He reluctantly said yes, and when his friend returned, she found Lady curled up on Humphreys' lap. Humphreys began searching for a Chihuahua of his own and noticed many on Craigslist in desperate situations. He adopted one, then spotted another in need. This pattern repeated, and Humphreys began a nonprofit. Today, his Facebook page has more than 41,000 followers and he's even been contacted about a possible TV series. His passion for wood flooring hasn't diminished, however, and he still works on big projects when not growing his organization. And with red oak flooring in his home, he also appreciates an incidental benefit of the diminutive breed: "Even though they run through the house, they're just not big enough to really tear through the finish." To find more information or to donate to his nonprofit, go to bigguylittlesworld.com.
Read about some of Humphreys' award-winning hardwood flooring work at the links below:
In the Spotlight: 2003 Floor of the Year Winners
Waikiki Winners: 2005 Floor of the Year Awards
Step by Step: Making a Sled to Create Wood Floor Medallions
